EyeNET: The Primary Care Eye Research Network

From Helen O’Kelly, EyeNET Director. 

What is EyeNET?

EyeNET is a network of London based optometrists with an interest in primary care eye research.  Situated in the Fight for Sight Optometry clinic at City University, the network has been funded by the Department of Health since 1998 to:

• provide training to London based novice researchers in research methods
• award small grants to London based primary care optometrists wishing to conduct research
• provide ongoing practical research support to those researchers

The network also facilitates dissemination of the research findings to the optometry profession via peer reviewed publications for example in Optometry in Practice, Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics, and also in the mass circulation journals (Optometry Today and Optician). 

What is Primary Care Optometric Research?

Primary care research is work that is of direct relevance to primary care optometrists and their patients.  It is usually carried out by clinicians in their practice setting who use their funding to protect their time to work on a project.  The research idea comes from the optometrist themselves, many of whom are new to research, but EyeNET is able to support the practitioner in developing their idea into a research protocol.  Some practitioners choose to register at City University for a higher degree.  To ensure that funded research remains relevant to the profession, EyeNET research funding priority is given to projects falling into one of the network’s three broad research themes:

• Evidence based analysis of core points of the eye examination
• Increase the quality of referrals from optometrists to general medical practitioners
• Evaluation of schemes where optometrists provide specialist services.

EyeNET’s progress to date:

Since its inception, EyeNET has funded 25 projects, 14 of which are completed. Of the remaining 11 projects, the researchers are still collecting data in 7 and writing up their theses/ publications in the final 4.  To date there have been 29 EyeNET publications and the network of practitioners registering to be kept up to date about the research findings has continued to grow.  Details of all the networks projects and publications can be found here.

Who can join EyeNET?

All primary care practitioners with an interest in eye research are welcome to join the network.  Members receive newsletters and are invited to the annual meeting in London to hear about the network’s projects.  London based members are invited to bid for funding to work up a research idea, to carry out a project or to disseminate findings of appropriate projects.

What about practitioners outside London?

Until recently there was no source of research funding or support specifically aimed at optometrists based outside London.  In an exciting development for national primary care optometric research, the College of Optometrists launched iPRO in April 2007.  Based in the University of Birmingham, iPRO will provide research training events across the UK, and members of the College of Optometrists will be invited to bid for research funding for practice based projects. The organisation will also provide ongoing research support to members.   For details on iPRO please contact Beverley Hancock. 

Read our previous post on iPRO here.

For further information on EyeNET:

Helen O’Kelly,  EyeNET,  Department of Optometry and Visual Science,  School of Allied Health Sciences, City University. 

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